Philippians 4PHI 4
What a blessed reality it is to know and to have the peace of God which passeth all understanding keeping the heart and mind through Christ Jesus.
Now observe how we must be in spirit in the sphere of the peace, in order to have our heart and mind kept. Our poor hearts and minds could never keep the peace of God. The best illustration I know of the peace of God is that magnificent declaration of Psa. 29:1010The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever. (Psalm 29:10). "The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King forever." It is striking, too, that the word rendered "flood" is elsewhere applied only to the deluge of Noah. Thus, above all the desolations of Garth, in the serenity of His own majesty the Lord sits as King. Notice the verse that follows this: "The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace." In a higher and fuller way the apostle tells us that the peace of God which passeth every understanding shall keep (as in a garrison) your hearts (that is the affections, which the word "hearts" refers to,) and minds (the motive power of the man).
There is nothing so often disturbed as our minds, especially if activity characterizes them. But if our God puts His own peace as a garrison to guard the heart and mind, all quiet and rest is secured in the stronghold of that divine fortification. This is the only way we can enter into the deep meaning of how our strength is to sit still.
When the Israelites stood on the shore of the Red Sea, with its waters as yet unopened before them and the fear of the enemy behind them, the word to them was, "stand still and see." In like manner we see, as it were, a divine transaction for us, but in accomplishing which we had no part. Now as garrisoned by the peace of God we learn the blessedness of the word, "Be still and know that I am God.”
The Apostle Paul gives himself as an example in verse 12, "I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." Thus he tells us how he had passed through all the circumstances. How often have we heard the remark: "You know nothing about it, for you are not in it." Now, it is well to remember that one needs to be out of trial, as having passed through it in order to sympathize with one in it. Then it is that we can witness to the grace, peace and power which sustained us. We can say in some sense, "I have found Him to be all I needed and more, thank God.”
It is very interesting to see how the apostle was passed through all the exigencies of human life, so as to be in his own person the witness to the truth we have before us. One of the distinctive marks of Christianity is the resource and power which belong to it, and these are brought to light by the difficulties through which the people of God pass in the wilderness way. In another day when the sight of the land tested Israel, Joshua and Caleb could say, "The people of the land are bread for us." The Israelites were afraid of being devoured by giants at that moment!
The apostle says in verse 19, "my God." Why does he not say, "your God?" Was He not the God of the Philippians as much as of Paul? Assuredly He was. But he was speaking of God as he himself knew Him, or as we might say, experimentally: the apostle had proved Him as his God. He says, as it were, "I have been the world over and He has never failed me." "My God shall supply all your need." I can count on Him for myself and also for you. Neither your need nor mine can measure what is in Him. What is the measure? "According to His riches in glory." How blessed and how infinite! May our hearts and minds be thus kept in this divine fortification continuously. W. Turpin